The Breitling Superocean Héritage: Steeped in Tradition

The Superocean Héritage is a sporty, classic watch reminiscent of Breitling's first Superocean from the 1950s. The Héritage collection offers both three-hand models as well as chronographs.

Highlights

Timeless design

Waterproof to 200 m (20 bar)

Different bezel and dial color options

Three-hand watches and chronographs

Case sizes ranging from 38 mm to 46 mm

Paying Homage Breitling's First Diving Watch

The Superocean Héritage is an homage to the beginnings of Breitling's diving watch line. In 1957, the luxury watch manufacturer introduced the Superocean. It was originally targeted towards professional divers, seeing as recreational diving was not yet a widespread hobby.

Breitling was founded in 1884. They made a name for themselves with pilot's watches and deck watches. For decades, their showpiece watch has been the Navitimer. It was introduced in 1952 and is still considered one of the most important pilot's watches today.

However, it wasn't just pilot's watches that were creating excitement in the 1950s. Powerful underwater timepieces like Rolex's Submariner and Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms were also premiered around the same time. Breitling introduced the Superocean for the first time in 1957. With waterproofness to 200 m (20 bar), the Superocean competed with and joined the ranks of the world's best diving watches. The series has been continually modernized and expanded over the years; some models are even waterproof to 2,000 m (200 bar). Next to Breitling's pilot's watches, the Superocean collection is home to many important watches in this luxury watch manufacturer's portfolio.

In 2007, Breitling launched the Superocean Héritage as its own independent model series paying homage to the first Breitling diving watches from 50 years earlier. The Héritage is oriented towards its historical predecessor, but it's not an exact replica; rather, it's a new interpretation of the older watches. The case is made of polished stainless steel. The Superocean Héritage was praised for its harmonious, timeless design. The watch was initially available with a diameter of 38 mm. However, Breitling followed the trend of larger watches and began offering versions with 42 and 46 mm diameters. The chronograph versions are available with a 44-mm or 46-mm case.

A deciding feature of a diving watch is its waterproofness. The Superocean Héritage is waterproof to 200 m (20 bar). It's not at all comparable to the Avenger II Seawolf, which is waterproof to an impressive 3,000 m (300 bar) and features a helium escape valve. However, as recreational divers only dive to a maximum of 30 or 40 meters, the Héritage is perfect for underwater use. It's also suitable for swimming, kayaking, and rafting.

A screw-down crown and a unidirectional, rotatable bezel are the common markers of a diving watch, both of which the Superocean Héritage has. The bezel has 120 clicks and only turns counterclockwise; this makes it impossible to accidentally increase the dive time. The bezel is available in different colors. In addition to black, blue, or green, Breitling also offers a red gold bezel. The bezel has a triangle as the zero marker as well as 11 lines dividing the hours into five-minute increments. The dial is available in blue, black, and white.

Buying Advice

Are you looking for a classic diving watch with a big name? Would you prefer something other than the most popular Swiss watches? Then the Breitling Superocean Héritage is perfect for you.

You can purchase a new three-hand Héritage for around 2,500 euros. The case diameter has no significant influence on the price.

However, a stopwatch function significantly alters the price. The chronograph versions cost around 3,500 euros. The highest priced chronographs are those with a red gold bezel; they cost between 5,000 and 5,500 euros. The oldest versions of the Superocean Héritage are from 2007; thus, there is not yet any vintage market for these watches.

Diving Watch Calibers

The Breitling 17 automatic movement powers the three-hand Superocean Héritage. It's available with a 42-mm as well as a 46-mm case and has a date display. The caliber has a power reserve of 40 hours and is based on the tried-and-true ETA 2824-2 caliber. It vibrates at a frequency of 28,800 alternations per hour.

The automatic caliber Breitling 23 powers the Chronographe 44. Its stopwatch function times up to 30 minutes, keeping track of the minutes on a subdial at three o'clock. The small seconds subdial is located at nine o'clock. The Breitling 23 has a power reserve of at least 42 hours.

Unlike the Chronographe 44 with its bicompax layout, the larger Chronographe 46 has a third subdial. The hour counter at six o'clock times up to 12 hours. The minute counter is located at 12 o'clock while the small seconds is located at nine o'clock. The date display is located at three o'clock. The timepiece is powered by the Breitling 13 movement, which is based on the famous Valjoux 7750 movement from ETA. Like the Breitling 23, the Breitling 13 has a 42-hour power reserve.

The smaller Héritage 38 model is powered by the Breitling 37 caliber, which is based on another ETA movement, the 2895-2. It features a 42-hour power reserve and a small seconds at six o'clock.

The special edition Superocean Héritage Chronoworks has an impressive 100-hour power reserve. It's powered by an in-house caliber, the Breitling 01, which is also used in the Navitimer. However, it's not just its chronograph movement that makes this timepiece so special: Its 46-mm ceramic case and limited run of 100 watches make the Chronoworks an exclusive timepiece. Its subdials have a tricompax layout at three, six, and nine o'clock. The sapphire glass back gives a clear view of the Breitling 01 movement in motion. However, Breitling compromised when it came to waterproofness, as this special edition is only waterproof to 100 m (10 bar).